Condenser for refrigerating plants



Feb. 25, 1930. N. H. GAY

CONDENSER FOR REFRIGERATING PLANTS Filed Jan. 24, 1928 Qwmmtoz www,

Patented Feb. 2s, i930 NORMAN E. GAY, F LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA CONDENSER FOR REFBIGERATING PLANTS Application led January 24,1928. Serial No. 249,078.

This invention relates to improvements in condensers for refrigerating plants, and in particular to means whereby the operation of such condensers is improved.

'5` It vhas long been known' to employ condensers in which a multiplicity of condensing units or coils were connected'between the inlet and outlet headers, these coils all being chilled in some manner, usually by a Huid, so

that the compressed refrigerant gas entering the condenser was chilled therein below its critical point and the refrigerant liqueiied so that it flowed downward in the respective coil and entered the outlet header. It has further been proposed to arranged the respective condenser pipes in a vertical column and to cause water as a cooling Huid to trickle downward successively over the walls to produce the chilling effect thereof. Since the water was heated successively by the condenser pipes, the temperature of the water at encountering the uppermost pipe was less than its temperature at the lowermost pipe.

The condenslng capacity of the uppermost pipe was therefore greater than the condenslng capacity of the lowermost pipe: and theoretically, more gas should iiow into the uppermost pipe, be condensed therein and pass to the outlet header.

In practice, however, it has now been found that the presence of quantities of noncondensible gas, commonly known as foul gas which enters with the hot compressed refrigerant gas, causes a blocking of the operation of the condenser. This foul gas,

at the same temperature and pressure as the l compressed refrlgerant gas and mixed therewith, would pass in a substantially regular proportion to this gas into the several condensing pipes. Since the pipes were of uniform size for ease of construction, each took aproximately the same quantity of gas, and since theV condensing effect of the lowermost pipe was only one-half or one-third as great as that of the uppermost pipe, the uppermost pipe received at all times a greaterilquantity of foul gas than the lowermost Further,

in actualoperation it was found p that the variation of condensing effects between the uppermost and the lowermost pipe was such that mixed refrigerant and foul gas would actually pass through the lowermost pipes Without condensation, enterin the out let header.

The uppermost pipe, eing of greater condensing efficiency, causes a full ndensation of substantially all refrigerant as therein before its outlet end is reached the flowing gas, so that in effect the back pressure in the outlet header by reason of the nnxed gases entering from the lowermost pipes, causes a return of such mixed gases into the uppermost pipes, with condensation of of the refrigerant gas therein. As a result this,

a pocket of foul gas is formed intermediate the length of the upper pipes, at approximately the point where the mixed gases entering from the inlet header come into contact with the mixed outlet header. This and gradually extends along the length of all of the pipes in gases entering from the pocket remains quiescent e upper pipes thus seriously decreasing the eiiiciency of 7the whole condenser.

These conditions were true for practically the upper half of the condenser bank, and in aggravated instances extending even to the lower half of the bank.

The present invention relates to means for header,

substantially the same, so that in eachpipe e foul gas is carried along into the outlet and each pipe works at the fullest eiiiciency of which it is capable.

In addition to the method of accomplishing this result, this invention further relates and a still further feature is an apparatus for carrying out the method: a particularly simple apparatus for this purpose.

ing ing On the accompanying drawings, illustratsuch a convenient apparatus for practicthe method by way of illustration of the invention, there is shown:

In Figure l, a conventional diagram of a condenser for a refrigerating plant;

Fig. 2, a view on larger scale of the inlet ader, in vertical section, with the pipe ends likewise in sectionto show the regulating means.

On these drawings there is shown an inlet header 10 which is substantially a vertlcal pipe having a hot compressed as inlet 11 connected thereto and controlled y an inlet valve 12. The outlet header 13 has a drain pipe 14 'with a regulating valve 15 to permit the iow of the liqueied refrigerant into the 1 receiver 16. At the top of the outlet header incline from the inlet to the outlet header, so

ventiOn, and employs a that the liquefied gas ows freely by gravity into the outlet header, and by reason of the customary great length of these tubes they are often bent back and forth in a zig-zag formation to obtain a maximum chilling effect, so that the refrigerant gas entering each of the multiple pipes may be completely chilled therein to form a liquid.

Above the bank of condensing pipes is disposed a trough 20 receiving water from the pipe 21 and permitting it to trickle downward in succession over the several pipes. The water at a relatively low temperature comes in contact with the top pipe 19a'and produces a chilling of this pi e to below the critical temperature of the ot compressed refrigerant gas. The water is heated thereby slightly, and as it trickles downward onto the next succeeding coil 19", the lowest temperature to which it can reduce this next pipe 1s above the temperature of the upper pipe 19a From the second pine 19 it trickles to the third, which it cools to a slightly less extent, and so on successively for the several pipes of the bank 19. It will be understood 4hat for the purpose of this invention itis not essential that the pipes ofi-the bank 19 be arranged in vertical planes, but may be in staggered relationship, or any other arrangement wherein one pipe is cooled to a lesser extent than another pipe: the Ysaine fluid being employed for the successive pipes for reasons of economy of operation.

For simplicity and cheapness of construction a form of construction f the pipes has been shown in Fig. 2 which is excellently adapted for the practicing of the present indraw-n sleeve for the inlet manifold 10 whichis closedat its upper end by a domed iange 10* and at its bottom b axiome 10b :'these parts are preferably weld ed ttogether at the factory. Each'of the pipes of the bank 19 is of the same diameter and is passed through an aperture in the wall of the linlet header 10il and is secured mechanically thereto and t e aperture is hermetically -let header, devices wherebr sealed to the atmosphere by a weld joint.

According to the present invention, the inlet to each of thepipes of the bank 19 is obstructed by a. closing plate or disk 22, 22b 22". Each of these plates has an aperture 23, 23b tures successively decrease in area downwardly, so that the aperture 23 is larg er than the aperture 23b and so in succession until the aperture 23Il of the lowermost pipe in this illustration is the smallest, being the pipe which has the highest temperature by reason of the increase of the temperature of the cooling fluid and arrivin at the lowermo'st pipe. These plates may. e slipped in position and held there by a small weld, and it is not necessary 23x through it, and these aperpassing over the successive pipes v to weld them in position for the entire periphery of the plate, since small leaks are of relatively no importance.

By design, the relative areas of the apertures 23, 23b 23x are such that the flow of gas through the respective pipes 19, 19b is proportioned to the condensing capacity of pressure opening at the end of the respective pipe into the outlet header 13 is practicalthe respective pipe, so that the gas ass ly the same for each pipe, and hence there is no return of gas from the outlet header 13 to any pipe;` but each pipe operates forl its entire length for the condensation of the compressed refrigerant gas therein, and the discharge at the end of the respective pipe is substantially composed of liquefied refrigerant and of foul gas; the latter being drawn oil either continuously or from vtime to time through the foul gas pipe 17 It will be understood that any person skilled in the art may design the size of the apertures 23a, 23b 23x in conjunction with the cross sectional area coils 19, 19", etc., and in conjunction with the known operating conditions of'compression pressure, receiver pressure, water orV other cooling iiuid temperature, etc., according to well known and recognized laws and commercial practice.

' In particular, it will be noted that the quantity of gas admitted to cach pipe varies in an inverse proportion to the temperature ceives more gas than the warmestpipe.

The illustrated form of the invention is not a limitation upon it: since it is obvious that the invention may be practiced in many ways within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed as'new is:

1. In a condenser for a refrigerating plant an inlet and an outlet header, a plurality o condensing pipes in multiple connecting said headers, whereby to receive gas from the inlet header and deliver the condensate to the outto impart differ ent chilling effects to' sai respective pipes, and means and the length of the of the pipe insomuch as the coolest pipe relocated adjacent the inlet header to apportion to each pi e a quantity vof refrigerant gas substantia 1y equivalent to the condensing capacity of the respective pipe.

2. In a condenser for a refrigerating plant 5 an inlet and an outlet header, a plurality oi condensing pipes in multiple connectin said headers, said pipes being arranged at 'Een ent elevations, devices whereby to impart different chilling elects to said respective pipes lo whereby a greater chilling of an u per pipe is produced and a relative lesser c llling of a lower pipe, and means located adjacent the inlet header to limit the flow of refrigerant gas into the lower pipe to the quantity substantially equivalent to the condensing capacity7 of the respective pipe.

3. n a condenser for a refrigerating plant an inlet and an outlet header, a plurality of condensing pipes in multiple connecting said headers, means to pass a cooling fluid over the pipes to produce diierent cooling effects in diil'erent pipes, said pipes being each arranged so that the connection to the outlet header permits a free drainage of liquid refrigerant into said outlet header from the 'pipe as condensed therein, and also so arranged that a pipe of high condensing capacity opens into said outlet header at a point nearer the cooling `fluid admission than 30 a pipe of lower condensing capacity, and

means located adjacent the inlet header to limit the flow of refrigerant gas into the respective pipes to a quantity substantially equivalent to the condensing capacity of the respective pipe.

4. In a condenser for a refrigerating plant an inlet and an outlet header, a plurallty of condensing Ipipes in multiple connecting said headers, said pipes being of substantially uniform and the same diameter and arranged substantially in a vertical column, devices to cause water to trickle successively downward from pipe to pipe to chill the same, and an apertured regulating plug located adjacent the inlet header in each pipe, the aperture respectively decreasing in size for each pipe lwith respect to that for the ipe above it.

5. In a condenser for a re rigerating plant, an inlet and an outlet header, a plurality of condensing pipes in multiple connectin said and means to regu 

